Gaia Epicus... No it's not a yogurt.
According to "The Metal Dictionary of Steen",
Gaia Epicus roughly translates to "well played power metal derived from the old days of
Metallica and
Megadeth".
Metallica because some riffs sound inspired from the Kill 'em all era and
Megadeth because of a certain riff (try to find it) as well as the lead singer's tendency to sneer.
Nothing is particularly new or original here, but the album holds up just fine, with enough variation to make it worthwhile and the band does manage to put their own stamp on the music. In fact the album is highly enjoyable and over the past half year I have kept returning to it for just another listen.
The musicians are skilled. Especially the guitar playing makes a grand impression. Riffs and solos are aggressive and in your face and another good point is the way the guitar often plays out the main melody. The production is limited, but good enough and each instrument is clearly audible, especially the bass detail deservedly stands out.
The songs themselves are good and often pull out a few surprises.
Iron curtain, at first resembling a half-breed brother of
Metallica's "Seek and Destroy", is one of such, with an extended instrumental section that adds extra flavor to the song.
Songs like
Rise of the Empire and
The Sign have memorable choruses while others like
Revenge is sweet and
Awaken The Monster make their impression with in your face aggression and heaviness. Similar for all songs is a definite melodic touch that makes me keep coming back for one more listen.
Adding a bit of variety,
In Memory and
When Darkness falls are short relaxing interludes that work just right as atmospheric breathers.
Gaia Epicus play quality metal and they have what it takes to take it much further. With a bit of invention on their part they could do just that.
Fans of bands like Gamma Ray, Helloween, Hammerfall,
Megadeth and power metal in general should check these guys out.
Gaia Epicus is a healthy dose of Metal.
Check out a few of their songs at their
official web site or on their
MySpace site.
Written by
Steen Sunday, September 16, 2007
Show all reviews by SteenRatingsSteen: 6.5/10Members: No members have rated this album yet.
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